The present invention relates to a developing agent replenishing device to replenish developing agents to developing devices of an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic type copier, facsimile, printer, etc., and relates to an image forming apparatus.
In the image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copier, facsimile, printer, etc., employing an electrophotographic method in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoconductive photoreceptor, the latent image is developed by the charged developing agent in the developing device, and a visual image obtained by the developing agent is transferred onto a transfer material, a predetermined amount of developing agent is automatically replenished from a developing agent replenishing device to the developing device in order to keep the concentration of developing agent in the developing device constant. Accordingly, the user of the image forming apparatus is required to replenish the developing agent at every predetermined period of time from a developing agent container to the developing agent replenishing device.
Conventionally, as a means for replenishing the developing agent to the image forming apparatus, there is a means of a type in which the developing agent container is set in the apparatus main body when the developing agent is replenished, the entire amount of developing agent in the developing agent container is replenished to a developing agent storing portion, and the developing agent container is removed from the apparatus main body after the replenishment has been completed. However, in the above-described type of replenishing method, there is a possibility that the developing agent overflows the developing agent storing portion when the developing agent is excessively replenished at a time to the developing agent storing portion. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a means to prevent the excessive replenishment of the developing agent. It is difficult to prevent the excessive replenishment of the developing agent, and even if the excessive replenishment preventing means for the developing agent can be mounted in the apparatus main body, the cost of the apparatus becomes expensive, and the overall size of the apparatus becomes larger.
Accordingly, a means of a type is developed in which the developing agent container having a spiral protrusion therein is set to the apparatus main body; the developing agent container is rotated around its central axis; the developing agent is delivered from a developing agent delivering port of the developing agent container; and the developing agent is replenished into the developing agent storing portion, (Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 295356/1995, etc.). In this type of means, because the developing agent container is always installed in the apparatus main body, the developing agent container can be rotated at any time so that the developing agent is replenished into the developing agent storing portion, when the amount of developing agent in the developing agent storing portion is decreased.
Accordingly, the developing agent replenishing device is proposed, or provided, in which the developing agent replenishing device is accommodated in the image forming apparatus and used, while the developing agent container is directly mounted in the developing agent replenishing device.
Conventionally, there are various types of developing agent replenishing devices using bottle-like developing agent containers. For example, there is a developing agent replenishing device in which a spiral protrusion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical container main body; the developing agent container, in which a developing agent delivering port is formed at one end side of the container main body, is mounted almost horizontally in an image forming apparatus; next, the developing agent replenishing container is rotated around its axis; thereby, the developing agent accommodated in the container main body is moved by the spiral protrusion towards the developing agent delivering port side, and is delivered from the developing agent delivering port; and the delivered developing agent is supplied into the developing device.
A cap is detachably provided on the developing agent delivering port, and the developing agent container, from which the cap is detached so that the developing agent delivering port is opened, is mounted in the image forming apparatus.
Further, conventionally, there is also a developing agent container, in which the developing agent delivering port of the container is kept upward, a seal to close the developing agent delivering port is peeled by hands, and the container is mounted in the apparatus main body while the developing agent delivering port is kept upward.
Still further, there is also a developing agent container in which, when the cylindrical developing agent container is mounted in the apparatus main body, a phase is positioned in the rotational direction of the cylindrical developing agent container, and then the developing agent container is pushed in the direction of the cylinder axis (Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 75769/1988).
The object of the present invention is to solve the following problems in the developing agent container, and the developing agent replenishing device which supplies the developing agent from the developing agent container to the developing device. The problems to be solved by the present invention will be described below.
(1) Conventionally, when the developing agent container is mounted in the container mounting portion, the rotational direction of the developing agent container is needed to be positioned, resulting in bothersome mounting operations and a possibility of mis-mounting.
(2) In the developing agent container whose developing agent delivering port is closed by a seal member, the peeling operation of the seal member is necessary to be conducted for each port, before and after mounting the developing agent container into the container mounting portion. Accordingly, when the mounting operation and the peeling operation are conducted for each container, there are problems that the developing agent is leaked from the developing agent container by the mis-operation and scattered to its surrounding, and a developing agent replenishment error occurs.
(3) There is a possibility that the remaining developing agent in the developing agent container leaks from the developing agent delivering port and stains the surrounding, when the developing agent container is taken out from the container mounting portion and replaced by a new one.
(4) In the developing agent replenishing device of a type in which the developing agent container is held, pushed and directly loaded into the container mounting portion, there are problems in which the mounting of developing agent container is difficult, the developing agent replenishing error or a display for the mis-operation occurs because of imperfect mounting of the container, and the developing agent stains hands or clothes of the operator.